2025 December | Kissing Consciousness Conscious Living Movement

A Long Weekend in The Peak District 2026

Wednesday, December 10th, 2025

Date: 26th – 29th March 2026
Base Location: Bakewell, Derbyshire
Price: £60

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in March, based in the famous Derbyshire ‘Peaks’ village of Bakewell. Picture above; Mam Tor.

This walking itinerary is designed to showpiece the various different styles of scenery in the Peak District, from the ridge walk across to Mam Tor which is like being on top of the world (see photo above), …

…to the Tolkein-esque gnarled tree and silver stream ancient woodland of Padley Gorge (see photo below),…

…to the classical village walk from Bakewell to Edensor village (pronounced En-zuh) at the foot of the majestic Chatsworth House, nestled in gentle rolling Derbyshire hills.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Thursday 26th March

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Bakewell on the Thursday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of one of the Bakewell hotels and I’ll advise which one nearer the time.

Friday 27th March: Mam Tor

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Castleton Visitor Centre, Buxton Rd, Castleton S33 8WN
Distance: 6.5 miles

Parking: Castleton Car Park – HPBC at the Castleton Visitor Centre, Buxton Rd, Castleton S33 8WN. There are public toilets at the Visitor Centre. Parking between 4 and 10 hours is £6.80, see various charges per duration. Car park ticket machines accept 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 and £2 coins and do not give change. Card payments accepted via the pay and display machines. You can also pay for parking in all council owned car parks via the PayByPhone application.

On the Friday we’ll start with the biggy, Mam Tor, the roof of the Peak District, and we’ll have an optional visit afterwards to Speedwell Cavern, and being Friday we’ll avoid the weekend queues.

We start from the village of Castleton.

Lose Hill looking toward Mam Tor.

Mam Tor’s ridge pathway allows you to enjoy the ‘view from the top’ as you go along, rather than just as single stop-at-the-top and 5 minute look around, as you get with other hills.

Speedwell Cavern

Parking: There is Speedwell Cavern Car Park opposite Speedwell Cavern. The address is Speedwell Cavern, Winnats Pass, Castleton, Hope Valley S33 8WA.

Anyone who doesn’t wish to go down Speedwell Cavern after the walk can rest up in the town of Castleton, where we’ll be parked, at the foot of Mam Tor, or visit Buxton for the later part of the afternoon – 12 miles to the South, or return to Bakewell to explore the town more.

Speedwell Cavern is on the recognisable Winnats Pass, the winding road snaking down the gorge you see below.

It is an underground boat journey, arrived at by going down some steps, in one of the four show caves in the region. The cave system consists of a horizontal lead miners’ adit (passage) 200 metres below ground leading to the cavern itself, a limestone cave. The experience takes between 30 and 60 minutes.

The last tour is at 3:00pm and Speedwell Cavern closes at 4:00pm so we will need to be mindful of time.

Saturday 28th March: Padley Gorge

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: The Fox House country pub, Longshaw House, Hathersage Rd, Longshaw, Sheffield S11 7TY
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: Park at The Fox House country pub with their kind permission, Longshaw House, Hathersage Rd, Longshaw, Sheffield S11 7TY, where we’ll have lunch after the walk optionally, unless you wish to take a packed lunch or do something else for lunch. Please Note: It is possible that by the time we travel, The Fox House will have formalised their car park as a public ticketed car park.

Alternative Parking: Alternatively, there’s a municipal car park 200 metres south of the Fox House pub at National Trust Car Park – Longshaw Estate – Woodcroft, Grindleford, Sheffield S11 7TZ.

Padley Gorge is an enchanting ancient woodland and brook in a valley, unlike anything else. Its twisted trees, wooden bridges and flowing waters give it a fantasy movie feel.

This walk also includes paths to the tucked away Grindleford Station, across the plains past Owler Tor and great views down from the small village of Hathersage Booths.

The Fox House at Longshaw.

Sunday 29th March: Bakewell to Chatsworth House

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Bath Gardens, on the roundabout (Rutland Square) in the centre of Bakewell, opposite The Rutland Arms Hotel. Address is Rutland Square (Stand B), Bakewell DE45 1BT
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Bakewell you’ll already be parked! 🙂

On the Sunday we’re going to pop to the neighbour’s place. …In this case the Duke of Devonshire, Peregrine Cavendish, and the 17th century grand mansion of Chatsworth House.

A 3 mile or so ‘outward’ walk gets us there, and after we’ve explore the house and estate – and had lunch – it will be another 3 miles about in the different return leg; about 6 to 7 miles in total, plus a bit more depending on how much you want to walk around the Estate and grounds or just sit with a coffee instead.

In addition to the option of your own packed lunch, there are several options for eating at Chatsworth, including The Carriage House Café…

…the luxurious Cavendish Restaurant (with prices to match)…

…and various ‘Food to Go’ options at the Chatsworth Park Shop, the Tea Shop, and various food trucks serving everything from stone baked pizza to fresh scones….

Video

This video shows the beauty of Bakewell, where we’ll be based.

“Base Camp Bakewell”

For snacks, self-catering and packed lunch filling there are two supermarkets in the town;

A Co-op close to the centre, on Market St, Bakewell DE45 1DS, about 300 metres from the central roundabout and The Rutland Arms Hotel.
and an Aldi just out of town; Ashford Rd, Bakewell DE45 1GL

Refunds

Refunds cannot be given except on a first come basis if the full capacity of the event is reached AND someone from the Waitlist pays for the event.

Group Ethos

This is an inclusive, boundaries respecting group. Participants must act in accordance with this at all times. Failure to do so will result in instant removal from the event and group without refund.

What to do next?

Don’t book any accommodation before you’ve confirmed your place with me.

Speak to me or message me to let me know you’d like to go.
I’ll let you have bank details to make a payment.
Then you can set about arranging accommodation.

You can call me on 07758 351 527.

I look forward to seeing you there,

James

A Weekend in Lavenham and Suffolk, 2026

Thursday, December 4th, 2025

Date: 12th – 14th June 2026
Base Location: Lavenham, Suffolk
Price: £40

Overview: A weekend of walking and community in June, based in the famous Suffolk village of Lavenham, pictured above.

With over 300 listed buildings, Lavenham is the best-preserved Medieval town in England.

Lavenham and the surrounding villages of Long Melford, Clare and Cavendish are picture postcard locations made famous by the 80s TV show, ‘Lovejoy’, aided by the nearby towns of Sudbury and Bury St. Edmunds.

Lavenham itself, with its timber-framed buildings and painted homes was the real life inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s fictional village, Godric’s Hollow, in the Harry Potter book and film series.

Scenes from the Deathly Hallows Part One were filmed in Lavenham.

You’ll need to arrange your own accommodation for the Friday and Saturday nights.

Friday 12th June

It doesn’t really matter what time you arrive in Lavenham on the Friday night, but if you’re arriving early enough you can rendezvous to dine and socialize with those from the group who have already arrived, should you wish to.

I’ll be around from 6:00 pm until at least 9:00 pm. We’ll use the Lobby Lounge of one of the Lavenham hotels and I’ll advise which one nearer the time.

Saturday 13th June – Morning Walk

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: Nowton Park Car Park
Distance: 5 miles

Parking: Nowton Park car park is £3 for over 2 hours, which we’ll need. Address: Nowton Park, IP29 5LU. Here’s the West Suffolk Council web page for the car park.

Our morning walk starts from – and proceeds through and around – Nowton Park; a 200 acre estate and manor house built in 1837 on the outskirts of Bury St. Edmunds, 10 miles North of Lavenham.

It’s a delightful environment in which to reconnect with nature for three miles, before venturing further afield toward Hencote Lane and High Green.

Of course, as we’ll be here in June, sadly the daffodils will be gone.

Afternoon Activities

After the walk, our touristy activities take us into Bury St. Edmunds, where we will meet up for lunch (optionally – of course all elements of the weekend are optional) and then the afternoon is yours to explore the town as you wish.

Bury St Edmunds has a history stretching back over 1,000 years, originating as the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Beodricsworth around the 7th century. The town was one of the royal boroughs of the Saxons.

Sigebert, king of the East Angles, founded Beodricesworth monastery here about 633, which in 924 became the burial place of King Edmund the Martyr, who was slain by the Danes in 869, and ‘Bury’ owed most of its early celebrity to the reputed miracles performed at the shrine of the martyr king. The town grew around Bury St Edmunds Abbey, a site of pilgrimage.

One option is to visit Moyse’s Hall Museum, as shown in the two photos below…

Saturday 13th June – Optional Evening Walk

Start Time: 7:00pm
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ. This is in the market ‘square’ area in front of the distinctive National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building.
Distance: 5.5 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Lavenham you’ll already be parked! 🙂

In the Summer, evening walks is what we do, so as this weekend is intentionally designed for the height of Summer, we’ll schedule an optional evening walk on the Saturday, too.

As we approach the weekend we’ll modify the itinerary to avoid walking in heat, and evening walks are a perfect way to allow us to do that.

This walk takes us from Lavenham, to the nearby small village of Brent Eleigh, and back round in a circular loop.

The War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ.

The National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building, in the same square as the war memorial.

Brent Eleigh and village sign.

We’ll end the walk going past the famous pub, The Swan at Lavenham.

Sunday 14th June

Start Time: 10:30am
Meet Point: By the War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ (pictured below). This is in the market ‘square’ area in front of the distinctive National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building.
Distance: 6 miles

Parking: As this walk starts in Lavenham you’ll already be parked! 🙂

The Lavenham Walk is an established route, using an old railway line which starts just a couple of hundred yards away at the top of the High Street.

The War Memorial, Market Place, on Market Lane; Lavenham, CO10 9QZ.

The National Trust – Lavenham Guildhall building. The war memorial we’ll meet at is in front of this majestic edifice.